The Labyrinth of Negrastir

New Beginnings - Part II

My heart raced and my breath quickened as panic flooded my body. While I struggled to come up with another lie, the stranger lifted his hood a little, revealing a glimpse of his face.

"Are you from the Magocracy?"

"Ma- Magocracy?"

"The Magocracy of Valorast..."

As he took yet another step towards me, I blinked and looked over my shoulder, feeling trapped with nowhere to escape.

"Y- yes," I said. "You're... you're right. I'm from—"

"You," he interrupted. "You're really letting everyone know where you're from, huh?"

"W- what?"

Getting closer, he lowered his voice to a whisper, making sure only I could hear, even though we were the only ones here.

"If someone asks where you're from, say you're a nomad with no country. Unless you wanna croak, of course."

I frowned as he retreated and mounted his ebony horse.

I gulped. Why was this person telling me this? What did he get out of it?

There was no way I could let him go after dropping a bombshell like that. He tilted his head to the side when I addressed him, observing me intently and taking his sweet time to reply.

"Aren't you supposed to off me, then? If what you're saying is true."

"I don't hunt the weak." He laughed as he said it. "I hunt the big fish that people pay to have killed. Not people like you."

"Like the guy you're looking for?"

"Yeah... just like the guy I'm looking for." A smirk played at the corners of his lips. "But how do you know it's a guy, my lady? I never told you."

"I- I just thought, you know, logically, since you don't hunt the weak, and- and women aren't exactly prey, are they?"

"You're..." Again, he kept his sweet time replying. "You're really from the Magocracy?"

A nervous smile spread across my flushed face. I could feel my heart pounding against my chest, its rhythm so loud that I wondered if the stranger could hear the frantic beats.

"Of- of course."

"Then why are you insulting your own queen? I'd slay thousands of men without batting an eye, but I wouldn't mess with Valorast."

"S- so when I said women, I didn't include the Queen, of course, I meant—"

With a finger pressed against his lips behind the black mask, he scanned his surroundings as if he had detected a sound that eluded my ears.

Holding my breath, I watched as the stranger's gaze landed on the hilltop.

"W- what is it? Did you hear—"

"Scchh!"

With bated breath, I moved towards the stranger. My overthinking brain raced with dismal thoughts.

The ebony gelding let out another loud neigh, its restlessness and agitation palpable. My face contorted.

As I anticipated the guy would dismount and ascend the hill, he surprised me by gripping the reins tighter and forcing the restless horse to change focus and direction.

"I have to go." He spoke without looking in my direction. His eyes were fixed on something else. "When it gets dark, the demons come out to feed. Make sure to reach the gates before they shut it."

"Demons...?"

Finally, his gaze landed on me, as if he had just noticed my presence.

"Listen closely. If you don't leave now and those demons catch up, you're done for. Do you get it?"